Blank feeder for can bodymakers



April 6, 1943.

.| R. MccANN 2,315,535

BLANK FEEDER FOR CAN BODYMAKERS Filed April 16, 1940 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 BLANK FEEDER FOR CAN BODYMAKERS Leland R. McCann, Hawthorne, N. J., assigner to American Can Company, New YorkLN. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 16, 1940, Serial No'. 329,981

3 Claims. (Cl. 113-113) The present invention relates to a blank feeder for can body making machines and has particular reference to an improved curling or forming device for cylindrical can bodies having offset side seams adapted to be Welded.

In the manufacture of can bodies in which the side seams are Welded it has been found that a stronger seam is produced when the central portion of one of the side seam edges of the body blank from which the body is produced is offset, i. e., bent at an angle to the plane of the blank and thence extended parallel therewith thus providing a step extending the major length of the seam. The creation of the oifset is preferably done While the body blank is in the flat. Where the body blank is formed into a cylindrical body shape by passing the hat blank through a roller curling or forming device, considerable difficulty has been encountered in preventing the offset from being ironed out flat during the forming operation.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difficulty by providing a curling or forming device with feeding rollers which may be separated at the proper time to allow the offset portion of the body blank to readily pass through the device without being ironed out.

An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision in a machine for making cylindrical can bodies each having an onset side seam, of a body forming device having feed rollers which are separable in time with the feeding of a body blank between them so that the offset portion of the blank will readily pass through without being ironed out flat.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of a portion of a body forming or Shaping station of a can body making machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged transverse vertical sections taken substantially along the respective lines 2-2, 3--3 in Fig. l, with parts broken away; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are schematic views showing the oiset portion of a can body blank passing between feed rollers at the body forming station.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawing illustrates principal parts a deflector element C. The deiiector elementy curls the blank into cylindrical can body shape after which the side seam edges are brought together in overlapping fashion and are united by welding to produce the completed can body.

In the instant invention the fiat can body blank A (Fig. 2) to be formed into a can body is preferably of the character having an offset portion D extending along one side seam edge of the blank. Such blanks are fed in timed order onto a supporting table I I formed as a part of a frame I 2 which may be the main frame of the machine.

While on the table II a blank A is advanced transversely thereof toward the forming device B by a feed dog I5 disposed in a movable feed bar I 6. The feed bar slides in a groove Il formed in the top of the table. The feed bar is reciprocated in timed order in its groove by way of a rack I B which extends down through an opening I9 formed in the table. The rack meshes with a gear segment 2| formed on the upper end of a vertically disposed operating arm 22. This arm is rocked by any suitable means operating in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

When the arm 22 rocks toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2 it slides the feed bar I6 in the same direction. Thus the feed dog I5 carried thereon engages behind the blank A on the table I I and feeds it into the can body forming device B. A hold-down bar 23 disposed above the table II prevents upward displacement of the blank during this feeding operation.

The body forming device B includes a pair of cooperating rollers comprising an upper pressure roller 26 and a lower feed roller 21 which are disposed adjacent the table II so that the body blank A may be readily fed into position between them. The lower roller 2l is formed with trunnions 28 which are `iournaled in bearing blocks 2S carried in recesses 3l formed in a bracket 32 bolted to the main frame I2. The lower roller is thus xed against displacement.

The upper roller 2t is formed with trunnions 35 which are journaled in movable bearing blocks 36 which normally rest on top of the bracket 32. The upper bearing blocks are formed with bottom recesses having sloping sides 31 which engage against cooperating sloping sides 36 formed on a part of the lower bearing blocks 29 which extends above the top of the bracket 32. This manner of construction forms a loose connection lbetween the bearing blocks while maintaining them in vertical alignment.

At each end of the upper roller 26 the upper bearing blocks 36 are rigidly connected to the upper shouldered ends of a pair of vertical bolts 4i. The bolts extend down on each side of 'the lower bearing block 29 through holes 42 formed in the bracket 32. The lower ends of the bolts on each side of the machine project out into an opening 43 formed in the bottom of the bracket and are rigidly connected to a cross bar 44. A compression spring 46 is located in a recess; 41 formed on each side in the bottom of the bracket and is interposed between the bracket and its corresponding cross bar. The two springs bear down on the two cross bars and thus normally keep the upper roller 26 drawn down in frictional engagement with the lower roller 21.

The feed and pressure rollers 26, 21 are constantly rotated, preferably at a greater speed than that at which the blank is fed into position between thern so that the blank may be rapidly formed and shifted out of the Way of the next following blank. This rotation is brought about by a pair of meshing gears I, 52 which are carried on the trunnions at one end of the rollers. The gears may be rotated in any suitable manner.

In order to pass the offset edge D of the blank A through the rapidly rotating feeding rollers 26, 21 without ironing it out flat, provision is made for raising the upper roller from its engagement with the lower roller sufficiently to create a space or clearance large enough to permit the offset blank D edge to pass therethrough. This is brought about by a movable bell crank 54 (Fig. 2) which is mounted on a pivot pin 55 secured in lugs 56 which are formed on the main frame l2.

One arm 51 of the bell crank is formed at its outer end with a yoke 58 (see also Figs. 1 and 3) and the ends of the yoke extend up through openings 59 formed in the frame l2 directly under the cross bars 44. These ends of the yoke carry rollers 6| which engage against the cross bars.

The opposite arm 63 of the bell crank 54 engages against a plunger 64 disposed in a bore 65 formed in a bracket 66 which may be a part of the machine frame i2. The plunger is formed with a stem 61 which extends through a bearing nut 68 threaded in the end of the bore. A compression spring 69 interposed between the plunger and the bearing nut and surrounding the plunger stem exerts its force against the bell crank and thus maintains the rollers 6| in engagement with the cross bars 44.

The outer end of the plunger stem 61 extends into the path of travel of the operating arm 22 when it rocks through a feeding stroke. Hence when the operating arm 22 moves to feed the blank A into the feed rollers 26, 21 it engages the plunger stem 61 just as the leading or offset edge D of the blank is about to enter between the rollers. This pushes the plunger 64 against the bell crank 54 and rocks the latter so that the rollers 6i carried thereon force the cross bars 44 upwardly against the resistance of their springs 46.

Upward movement of the cross bars 44 lifts the bolts 4! connected therewith and this action raises the upper bearing block 36 and the upper or pressure roller 26 carried thereby out of its engagement with the lower or feed roller 2T. The rollers are thus separated a suiicient distance to permit insertion of the offset leading edge D of the moving blank A as shown in Fig. 4.

Continued movement of the operating arm 22 further raises the pressure roller slightly higher and at the same time advances the leading edge D of the blank through the rollers 26, 21 a sufficient distance to advance such offset section clear of and beyond the rollers, as shown in Fig. 5. The edge D thereafter is out of danger of being ironed out fiat by the rollers.

After thus placing the blank A in position between the rollers, which continue to rotate even during their separation, the operating arm 22 moves back on a return stroke to pick up the next or following blank A. 'During this return stroke and as the operating arm moves away from the plunger stem 61, the compression springs 46 return the upper roller bearings 3S. At the same time spring 66 returns the bell crank 54 to its original position. The pressure roller 26 is thereby lowered into engagement with that portion of the blank located between it and the lower roller 21 and since the rollers are rapidly rotating, the blank is immediately advanced by them.

This feeding action of the blank A by the feeding rollers 26, 21 brings its offset leading edge D into engagement with the deflector element C (Figs. 2 and 5). This deector element C extends nearly the full width of the rollers 25, 21 and is adjustably bolted in position adjacent the rollers to lugs 1l which extend up from the bracket 32. The element is supported on a wedge block 12 which is adjustably bolted on an inclined lug 13. Thus vertical adjustment as well as horizontal adjustment is provided. The inner edge of the element is formed with a curved deflecting surface 15.

The continued feeding action of the feed rollers 26, 21 forces the blank endwise and forward against the curved surface 15 of the deilecting element C and bends or curls the blank into its desired cylindrical can body shape. This is done in the conventional manner and without distorting the offset side seam edge D of the blank.

As the curled or formed blank leaves the deflecting element C, it passes around a horizontal horn or mandrel 1S which is bolted to the main frame i2. A pair of removable side guides 19 extending around and longitudinally of the horn and in spaced relation therewith, confine the shaped blank against displacement from the horn. These partially formed bodies thus positioned on the horn are immediately propelled therealong for further operations by feed bars 8l which are disposed in grooves 82 formed in the horn. The bars are reciprocated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine. Subsequent operations upon the partially formed can body as it is propelled along the horn form no part of the instant invention and therefore a description of these operations will be omitted.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that Various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making tubular can bodies having oifset side seams, the combination of a pair of cooperating feeding rollers for advancing flat can body blanks to be formed into can bodies, said blanks each having an offset portion, means normally urging said rollers toward one another, means for continuously rotating said rollers for feeding blanks therebetween, blank feeding devices for continuously and positively engaging a blank at a definite part while advancing the blank to feed it between said rollers, and means actuated by said feeding devices for momentarily separating said blank feeding rollers while maintaining their continuous rotation when a said blank is moved adjacent the bight of said rollers, whereby to prevent an offset side seam portion of said blank from being flattened by said rollers during feeding of the blank therebetween.

2. In a machine for making cylindrical can bodies having offset side seams, the combination of a fixedly mounted blank feeding roller, a yieldably mounted pressure roller disposed adjacent said feeding roller and having means normally urging the same toward said feeding roller in blank feeding relation thereto for feeding therebetween flat can body blanks having offset side seam edges, means for continuously rotating said rollers, blank feeding means including devices for continuously and positively engaging a said blank at a definite part while advancing the blank to feed it between said rollers, and means connected to said pressure roller and engageable by said blank feeding means for momentarily shifting said pressure roller away from and out of blank feeding relation to said feed roller while maintaining continuous rotation of the rollers, to permit the offset side seam portion of a said blank to clear and pass between said rollers, whereby to prevent flattening of such offset portion as the blank is advanced between and thereafter fed by said rollers.

3. In a machine for making cylindrical can bodies having offset side seams, the combination of a blank feeding roller, a yieldably mounted pressure roller disposed adjacent said feeding roller and having means normally urging the same toward said feeding roller in blank feeding relation thereto for feeding therebetween flat can body blanks having leading offset side seam edges, means for continuously rotating said rollers in peripheral synchronism, blank feeding means including devices for continuously and positively engaging a said blank at the rear edge thereof while advancing the blank to feed it between said rollers, and a pivotally mounted bell crank lever having an arm connected to said pressure roller and another arm disposed in the path of movement of said blank feeding devices, whereby said lever is engaged and moved on its pivotal axis by said feeding means in time With the advancement of the body blanks for shifting said pressure roller out of blank feeding relation with said feed roller While maintaining continuous rotation of the rollers. to permit the offset side seam portion of a said blank to clear and pass between said rollers, thereby preventing flattening of said leading offset portion as said blank is passed between and thereafter fed by said rollers.

LELAND R. MCCANN. 

